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Scottish Government launches next tech competition

07/06/18

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Social isolation and public transport among issues to be tackled in CivTech programme encouraging cross-sector innovation  

The Scottish Government is calling on the public sector to solve common social issues through innovative uses of technology, in collaboration with entrepreneurs, the private sector and citizens.

The Digital Directorate’s CivTech programme has launched its latest set of five challenges on issues including how technology can address social isolation and improve public interaction with the outdoors. It plans to announce more later this week on the @CivTechScotland Twitter feed.

The CivTech programme, which is now in its third year, works with the public and private sectors and the public to develop new products and improve public services.

Applicants are being asked to respond to five specific challenges on how can technology help: prevent illicit trading; connect people and places through public transport to address social isolation; improve services by better understanding investment requirements for public buildings; use data to improve social housing standards; improve people's engagement with the outdoor environment.

Finalists will be selected by the public sector sponsors allocated to each challenge, including Glasgow City Council, Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group, Scottish Housing Regulator, Scottish Natural Heritage and Stirling Council. 

They will also be asked to attend ‘exploration’ and ‘accelerator’ workshops with providers and sponsors to develop ideas further for which they will receive £23,000 in the first four months.

Winners will sign a contract with participating private and public sector organisations up to the value of £250,000.

In parallel with the competition, CivTech has launched the Intrapreneurship programme, which aims to ‘upskill and change mindsets of our public sector partners’. It poses the question: ‘How can our public sector organisations be transformed by leaders immersed in an entrepreneurial experience?’

The closing date for applications is 2 July.

Read about previous winners.

Image by flickrtickr2009 from Wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
       


 

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